Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker delivers one of his sharpest assessments yet on the U.S. peace push for Ukraine, warning that the fundamentals of the conflict “have not changed.” Speaking as Washington, Kyiv, and European leaders debate revisions to the controversial 28-point U.S. peace plan, Volker says the world is still searching for an “easy way out” that simply does not exist. Volker argues that Russia will only stop if stopped, dismissing hopes that incentives, sanctions, or diplomatic formats alone could change Vladimir Putin’s intentions. He contrasts the Biden administration’s “as long as it takes” approach with President Donald Trump’s focus on ending the war quickly, lifting sanctions, and avoiding a U.S.–Russia nuclear confrontation — but warns that Putin is not playing Trump’s game. Volker also cautions against legitimizing Russia’s territorial seizures, saying it would create a dangerous global precedent and embolden Moscow to expand the conflict — even hinting at risks to Lithuania and Poland if the West accepts Russian annexations.